Covid hits kids’ vaccination, warns UN
BRUSSELS/ GENEVA: The United Nations warned on Wednesday about an alarming decline in childhood vaccinations because of the Covid-19 pandemic, saying that the likelihood a child born today will have all recommended vaccines by the age of five is less than 20%.
Most of the 82 countries surveyed in May reported vaccination campaigns being disrupted, according to a study carried out by Unicef, the World Health Organization (WHO) and Gavi.
That survey found more than 30 measles campaigns around the world have been, or are at risk of being halted. “The avoidable suffering and death caused by children missing out on routine immunisations could be far greater than Covid-19 itself,” said WHO director-general Tedros
Ghebreyesus.
In Europe, officials warned that a feared second wave of coronavirus infections could coincide with the continent’s winter flu season, and urged member states to prepare.
EU commissioner Margaritis Schinas admitted the initial response to the epidemic had “not been Europe’s finest hour”, with national capitals responding in an uncoordinated way.
But, along with health commissioner Stella Kyriakides, he said both the European Commission and member states had learned lessons and would be better prepared for a new outbreak. “The virus is still with us,” he warned.
The United States reported a record 67,000 new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours. Covid-19 claimed at least 850 new victims in the country over the past 24 hours.